Sarfaraz Thunders, Rain spoils the game; RCB v RR match review

Sarfaraz Thunders, Rain spoils the game; RCB v RR match review: Rain played spoil sport as the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was called off at the end of the first innings. With this, both the teams get one point each. Rajasthan remain in the second position while Bangalore climbed a spot to third.

Put into bat, Royal Challengers Bangalore were off to a shaky start as they lost Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli with just 19 runs on the board. AB de Villiers and Mandeep Singh did the repair works as the duo put on a 74 run partnership for the third wicket before Mandeep was trapped in front of the stumps off Stuart Binny for a 20 ball 27. Dinesh Karthik joined De Villiers as the later reached his fifty off 41 balls.

When De Villiers was getting into his own groove, he was run out courtesy a miscommunication with Dinesh Karthik. De Villiers scored 57 off 45 with 9 fours and a six. It was when the 17 year old Sarfaraz Khan walked in. He looked in fine touch from the first ball he faced and played some stunning shots.

Against the run of play, Dinesh Karthik was run out for an 18 ball 27 with yet another miscommunication, this time Sarfaraz being the non-striker. Sarfaraz, in the company of David Wiese struck some boundaries before Wiese was dismissed for 11.  Some rusty hitting in the end from Sarfaraz and Harshal Patel took Royal Challengers to 200-7 in 20 overs.

Sarfaraz remained unbeaten on 45 off 21 balls with six fours and a six. Southee was the pick of the Rajasthan bowlers with figures of 2-32 in four overs.